GROWING TOGETHER
THROUGh
HONEST SHARING
Talking to each other, honestly and sincerely. Without gossip and banter, without stories from the past, without wishes for the future – and without misunderstandings! Genuine exchange that connects. In the here and now. This sums up Honest Sharing (HS) in a nutshell. Here, you can find out about the communication principle behind Honest Sharing, how Honest Sharing works, how to join a Local or Online Group within our international self-help network, and much more.
INFORMATION AND
INSPIRATION FOR ALL THOSE WHO
- want to learn about Honest Sharing
- already have experience in Honest Sharing and would like to start a Local or Online Group
- are looking for like-minded people to practice Honest Sharing with or for more inspiration
- are looking for an effective method of communication to use within conflict in a partnership
- want to establish constructive, conflict-free communication within a work environment
WHAT EXACTLY IS
HONEST SHARING?
Honest Sharing is a process that is as simple as it is effective. It is based on consistently starting each sentence with a predetermined phrase and listening to the other person with complete attention. Doing this 100 percent of the time dissolves the ego and creates a communication environment that is free from stressful, energy-draining or attacking language. However, the old protection system (the ego) tends to be complex – especially as it tries to actually avoid direct contact. Many practitioners of Honest Sharing have been successful in breaking free from the ego.
WHOM IS HONEST SHARING For?
Honest Sharing is an exciting and effective method for anyone who wants a new approach to communication. Whether in a partnership, a group or in society, Honest Sharing brings people together. Companies, organizations and clubs can all benefit from a new communication culture through Honest Sharing. Because when there are no more conflicts or power struggles, teams can return their focus back to their tasks and work efficiently. Are you looking for someone to introduce and implement Honest Sharing within your company or organization? Here you will find Honest Sharing experts, approved by Gopal, who can advise and train you in Honest Sharing, in person or online.
TOGETHER INTO A NEW ERA OF EXCHANGE
THE HONEST SHARING GROUPS
HONEST SHARING Local Groups
HONEST SHARING Online Groups
If you can’t or don’t want to join a Local Group, you can also participate in an Online Group via Zoom or Skype. The only difference between Local Groups and Online Groups is whether people meet in person or online. Everything else about them is the same. You can join an Online Group from wherever you are in the world, in whatever language you speak.
EXPERIENCE HONEST SHARING –
STEP BY STEP
Familiarize yourself with the basic principles of Honest Sharing. Then experience the group process in a Local or Online Group and find out whether the method suits you.
Once you have joined a Local or Online Group and participate regularly, within a short time, you will start to notice the positive effects in your everyday communication or even in tense situations.
After you have gained a lot of experience, you might want to get more people on board. Now you have the opportunity to set up a group yourself, in person in your local area or online.
START YOUR OWN LOCAL GROUP
You don’t need to have many years of Honest Sharing experience or have expertise in leading groups. Only one thing is important when creating and leading a Local Group: the desire to pass on Honest Sharing and thus the motivation to promote genuine exchange. No matter where you want to offer a Local Group and how you want to organize it – only the group process is mandatory.
To ease yourself into leading a group, it is best to start in a small, private circle – with your partner or friends. After some time, expand your group and gradually invite more people to join. When you feel safe, make it public.
SIMPLY ASKED, BRIEFLY EXPLAINED
Here you can find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Honest Sharing. You are also welcome to contact us and we will answer your question as soon as possible.
No, Group Leaders are not therapists trained by Gopal. A Local Group according to Gopal is therefore not a therapeutic offering. Rather, it is a self-help group where every participant is responsible for themselves. The same applies to Online Groups.
What is most important is that you are not distracted when sharing honestly – not by children, pets or food. Regardless of whether you attend a Local or Online Group, you will only achieve the desired effect if you participate with absolute concentration on yourself and attention to the other participants.
It is suggested to do Honest Sharing with an experienced Group Leader several times, before evaluating how your nervous system responds.
In reality, an online chat can never replace the direct experience of human interaction in physical proximity or at least via Zoom or Skype. That’s why doing Honest Sharing via text messages is completely out of the question.
Yes, there are. The DOWNLOADS area below has links to videos and lots of other information that will show you how Honest Sharing works in detail and what you should pay attention to.
You can see how Honest Sharing works and how to practice it in the following video on YouTube: «Honest Sharing” According to Gopal – Demonstration».
TESTIMONIALS
YOUR ROLE AS AN HONEST SHARING LOCAL GROUP LEADER
Perhaps you have often thought about starting a Local Group yourself, but are still unsure of the role of a Group Leader? First of all, a Local Group is a self-help group and NOT a therapeutic setting. This means that it is not your job to make sure that, for example, participants get to certain feelings, or that participants can cope with their personal, perhaps even difficult life circumstances, and other things like that. All this belongs in the hands of a therapist and not in the hands of a Local Group Leader. Your task, as a Group Leader, is to provide a space where everyone feels comfortable and to set a fixed time for Honest Sharing. Most importantly, you need to ensure that participants adhere to the structure of Honest Sharing, do not tell stories, and gently correct them if they do not say the beginnings of sentences correctly. And Online Groups work the same way as Local Groups. The only difference is whether attendance is in person or online. So you see, it’s quite easy to lead a Local Group. Be brave 😊
Unless you have the appropriate qualifications, it is also recommended to have *each* participant sign the following: I have been informed by the Group Leader, [Your Name], that he/she is *not* a doctor and *not* a psychotherapist, that this is *not* psychotherapy, but a self-help group and that it *does not* replace diagnosis or treatment by a doctor, psychotherapist or alternative practitioner.
DOWNLOADS / LINKS
Here you will find the most important resources for Honest Sharing so that you can find your way through the wealth of materials and offers more easily. (This section is constantly being updated; it is a work in progress.)